BY HANNAH STANLEY Mayor Linda Gorton announced Wednesday the creation of the Opioid Abatement Commission that will be responsible for suggesting to administration and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council how to allocate the National Opioid Litigation settlement funds. A joint lawsuit with additional cities and states resulted in an agreement[Read More…]
Kentucky News
Kentucky to receive over $300M as part of national opioid settlement
By Fletcher Keel The state of Kentucky will receive more than $317 million over 15 years as part of a $17.3 billion national settlement, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office says. In a press release from Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the settlement is with pharmaceutical companies Teva and Allergan as well[Read More…]
Gorton names new Opioid Abatement Commission members
By Dylan Scheid LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Mayor Linda Gorton held a press conference Wednesday to announce the members of the new Opioid Abatement Commission. The purpose of the commission will be to recommend appropriate uses for funds received from the National Opioid Litigation settlements. The mayor named 13 people[Read More…]
‘I’m actually living:’ Louisville car dealership partners with sober living facility
BY ERIN KELLY | KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Ford dealership on Fifth Street in downtown Louisville was a short walk from Beacon House, the sober living facility where James Sherrill Jr. had been staying nearly 10 years ago, and Sherrill needed a job. He started as a shuttle driver and began working[Read More…]
Frankfort launches overdose response team
Frankfort Police Chief Dustin Bowman said he thinks of his own family as he works to support people suffering from substance use disorder. “I’ve seen how it’s torn families apart, how children have been removed from home and unfortunately, I’ve seen how a brother-in-law — mine — passed away from his[Read More…]
Opinion: $42M for psychedelics research is not how Kentucky should be fighting opioid addiction
On May 31, Kentucky’s Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission announced that it will be allocating approximately $42 million from the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund to research the psychedelic drug, ibogaine. This decision — framed as a way to combat opioid dependence in the future — is misguided, and funds could be used in a number of ways[Read More…]
Kentucky group shares plan to explore new therapeutic treatments for opioid addiction
By Charity Blanton FRANKFORT, KY — The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission announced Wednesday plans to pursue new therapeutic treatment options for Kentuckians affected by opioid use disorder. The commission says their proposal includes investigating new treatments to “reverse the chemical effects of opioid addiction,” including withdrawal symptoms. They say they will collaborate[Read More…]
A rural county’s choice: Use opioid funds to pay off debt, or pay them forward to curb crisis
BY: ANERI PATTANI Over the past two years, rural Greene County in northeastern Tennessee has collected more than $2.7 million from regional and national settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. But instead of helping people harmed by addiction, county officials are finding other ways to spend it. They have put $2.4 million toward[Read More…]
Attorney General Cameron Urges Congress to Protect Kentuckians from Illicit Xylazine
By Kentucky Attorney General Cameron FRANKFORT, Ky. – KY Attorney General Daniel Cameron urged Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. The bipartisan legislation would curb the widespread use and trafficking of xylazine and help prevent overdose deaths. Xylazine is a pharmaceutical drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug[Read More…]
New rehab center to open doors within 2 months; Adkins named site administrator
Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), a faith-based drug rehabilitation organization, plans to open its Owensboro location within 45 days — with hopes to bring approximately 125 new jobs and serve up to 300 clients. The location will be called Yellow Banks Recovery Center, and Sarah Adkins has been site administrator. The recovery[Read More…]